Compensator for knob-spindles.



- W. S. TRASK. GOMPENSATOR FOR KNOB SPINDLES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 21,1908.

Patented May25, 1909.

g ED STATES PATENT (OFFICE.

I WILLIAM S. TRASK, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO P. &. F. CORBIN, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

Tohall whom it may concern:

' cournnsa'ron FOR KNOB-SPINDLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.-

Patented May 25, 1909.

Application filed August 21, 1908 Serial No. 449,665.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. TRASK, a

' citizen of the United States, residing at New dle upon a door. -mounting the spindle and knobs upon the fBritain, county of Hartford, State of Connecticut,, have invented certain, new and useful Im rovements 1n Compensators for Knob- Spind es, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description.

'- My invention relates to improvements in means for mounting a knob and knob spin- In the usual method of so 7 door, itis common practice when'the spindle is of such length with respect to the thickness of the door that there would be end movemerit of the knobs, to take up this movement by-placing one or more washers upon the ,spindle adjacent each knob. This not only results in unsightly constructiombut frethe washers are so arranged as to take up the I end play, undue friction frequently results vide means whereby the knob spindle 'wi between the knobs and such washers.

The object of the invention is to prevent end play of the knobs irres ective of the they are ap- YA further object of the invention is to Hr}?- ve supported at several points in addition to the support afforded by the lock through which i the spindle gjkHObS will asses, whereby the spindle and he held against rocking movement. 1 a

A further object is to reduce to a minimum the friction between the knobs and spindle,

and their supporting parts. U A preferred embodiment of my inventionis illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

which,

wFig'ure 1 1s a vlewpartly in section of-a knob-and its spindle, and the improved sup- 1 I port therefor of my invention. Fig. 2 is a igl 3comprises an edge and interior view of plan view of'the assembled knob support.

one of the members of the knob support. i Fig. 4 comprises similar views of a cooperating" member. Fig; 5 shows a bail for holding the parts in assembled position. Fig. 6

shows a sprin which is inter osed between the'parts in igs. 3 and 4. ig. 7 shows a modified view of the invention, and, Fig. 8 illustrates a detail of such modification.

. In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Fig. 1, -1 is a door knob and 2 is the spindle to which it is suitably secured.

3 shows the usual escutcheon plate which is suitably secured to the stile 4 of the door, through which and through a drilled hole 5 in said stile, the knob spindle passes, the lock mechanism (not shown) being secured with in the mortise in the stile, one wall of which mortise is shown at 6. The escutcheon 3 may be provided with the usual thimble 7 secured thereto in any desired manner.

In the ordinary method of mounting the knobs and spindle upon the door, side play or rocking of the spindle, and knobs is prevented to more or less extent by the contact of the shank of the knob with the thimble 7, and end play of the knob and spindle is taken up or provided for by means of washers on the spindle interposed between the knob shank and the outer surface of the stile.

my improved construction, and in the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1, the stile is countersunk at 8 and a thimble 9 having a flange 10'is placed in said countersunk portion to form a socket or recess to receive the compensator and bearing of my invention. This compensator comprises two telescoping cup-shaped members or thimbles 11 and 12', the member 12 being seated entirely within the countersunk thimble 9 and the member 11 projecting through the thimble receiving apertures of the escutcheon 3, and having a lateral bearing upon and within the perimeter'of the thimble 7. A spring 13 is interposed between the compensator members 11 and 12 and said members are held together by means of a bail 14, the extremities '15 of which are inturned and take withinaperture 16 in the wall of the compensator member 12 and within slots 17 in the wall of the compensator member 11. The slots 17 in the member 11 provide for telescopic or collapsing movement of said member Within the co- 0 crating member 12 of the compensator. he members 11 and 12 are provided with spindle receiving apertures 18 and 19 respectively, which are preferably of the same shape andof substantially the same area 'as the cross section of said spindle, but it is within the scope of my invention to make these apertures of a different shape and if de-. sired of a larger cross-sectional area than the crosssectional area of the spindle so long as tillley are so shaped as to center the said'spin- By the above described construction, the spring-actuated members 11 and 12 automatically com ensate for any disparity between the thickness of the door and the dis- 5' tance between the knobs on the knob spindle whereby end play between thedoor and the knobs is constantly taken up and the knobs are securely held in proper position and adjustment with respect to the door. Furthermore, when the apertures 18 and 19 and the compensator members 11 and12 are of such shape or area as to contact with the spindle, it will be-seen that the compensator forms a bearing for the spindle and knobs against dateral rocking movement by reason of the bearing'of the member 11 of the compensator upon the aperture in the escutcheon or upon the thimble 7 within said aperture. By this construction bearing points are provided outside of and considerably removed from that of the lock mechanism through which the spindle passes, and the spindle and knobs will be at all times securely held in roper alinement in the stile of the. door. urthermorc, when the apertures, in the compensator members 11 and 12 are such that the same are held against rotation upon the spindle, the compensator will rotate with the spindle and knobs, thus doing away with friction between the knob shank and the outer surface of the member 11 of the compensating means. -Hence, while the knobs are securely held against .end thrusts, the meansfor this purpose will not produce undue friction against the rotation of the knobs.

In some constructions however, it may be.

desirable that the compensatoract only as a compensator against end thrusts and not necessarily to afford extra, bearings for the knob spindle and knobs. In such case, the apertures 18 and 19 in the members 11 and 12 of the compensator may be of larger area than the cross section of the spindle, whereby the spindle will turn within the compensator. 45

In the modified form illustrated in Fig. 7 'is shown a method of mountin the compensator in what is known as a ho low or dished escutcheon. The escutcheon 20 here shown is flanged. at 21, whereby there is a space 22 between the escutcheon and the stile 4 of the door, and the compensator receivin thimble 23 corresponding to the thimble 9 of the construction above described is secured to the rear side of the escutcheonas by an overturned lip 24 of the thimble 25. The member 12 of the compensator is here seated against a washer 26, which in turn is supported by inturned lugs or. tongues 27 struck up fromthe thimble 23. The member 11 of the compensator projects as above described through-the aperture in the escutcheon 20 and as here shown has a bearing within the ,lip 24 of the thimble 25. The operation of the compensator in this modification may be 6 and is the same as that described for the form illustrated in Fig. 1. In this modified 'form furthermore, the compensator receiving thimble 23 may be of such a depth as to be flush with the inner edge of the flange 21 whereby said thimble also performs the function of a support for the escutcheon against the end thrusts of the knob and against any other pressure which maybe brought to bear upon the escutcheon.

While I have here shown and described a particular construction and arrangement of compensating means, it is to be understood that the same may be altered in detail without departing 'from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Another distinct advantage of combining in this particular connection the spring compensator device is that it performs the second function of forcin the knob 1 longitudinally upon the spind e 2 in such a manner as to set up a friction between the knob retaining screw and the spindle 2, thus. preventing said screw from working loose and falling out. In the drawin the usual knob retaining screw is indicate at 1 the same passing through a hole in. the knob shank and taking out a threaded screw passage in the 11 common practice these knob spindles are provided with a series of screw passages to enable the knob to be applied to doors of different thicknesses, that particular screw passage most conveniently located with reference to the screw passage in the knob shank being the oneselected.

.'What I claim is:

1. In a spindle support and knob compensating device, an escutcheon, a compensator rotatably mounted in said escutcheon and having a passage therethrough to receive a knob spindle, said compensator comprising two yielding parts, and means for normally expanding the same, one of said parts having a passage therethrough arranged to permit a knob spindle to pass through said compensator but preventing the independent rotation of said spindle therein.

- 2. In a device of the character described, a knob spindle, a knob carried thereby and a compensator for taking up the end play of said knob and spindle, said compensator comprising two telescopic members and a spring interposed between saidinembers.

3. In a device of the character described, a knob spindle, a knob carried thereby and a compensator for taking up the end play of said knob and spindle, said compensator comprising connected telescoping members l53nd a spring interposed between said memers.

4. In a device of the character described, a knob spindle, a knob carried thereby and a compensator for taking up the end play of said knob and spindle, said compensator comprising two companion telescopic members and means to hold said members in as sembled position while permitting collapsible movement thereof. I

5. In a device of the character described, a knob spindle, a knob carried thereby, a flanged or hollow escutcheon plate, a compensator case, a compensator therein for taking the end thrust of said spindle said case being mounted at the rear of said escutcheon plate and forming a support for said spindle.

6. In a device of the character described, a

knob spin die, a knob carried thereby, a flanged 0 1 hollow escutoheon plate, a com- 5 pensator/oase and means therein for taking the end thrust of said spindle said case being mounted upon said. escutcheon plate at its rear anv having a rotatable bearing'therein, said co pensator also operating to take the 20 side st ain of said spindle.

WILLIAM S. TRASK.

Wi nesses:

R. O. MITCHELL, AUGUST ARENs. 

